


Don’t Feed It (it will come back)

by meowvelous



Series: Mundane Magical Gays [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22403572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowvelous/pseuds/meowvelous
Summary: Lily never had any pets growing up. After her mom died, she got the feeling that her dad struggled enough with taking care of her, let alone an additional living thing.But one day, a wolf appeared and chose Lily, for some reason.So. She had an illegal pet wolf now. Which was pretty cool. Hopefully it won’t end in tears.
Relationships: Original Female Character & Original Female Character, Original Female Character & Original Male Character
Series: Mundane Magical Gays [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1398847
Kudos: 1





	Don’t Feed It (it will come back)

**Author's Note:**

> **Tags:** Mostly mundane AU, vaguely HSAU, stuck as a wolf fic, they’re my OCs and I do what I want, slice of life, no plot but no porn either, fellas is it gay if she’s a wolf, which sounds gross ok there’s no beastiality here, can it still be pre-slash if they’re both women. 
> 
> **Notes:** asdhfjfkg okay after this, it’ll be glaringly obvious which series/fandom these characters are inspired by, lmao, but whatever. This is a tribute to a kind of story I love. Not sure if I really nailed it but whatever, write and learn, right? Also! Plz let me know if you spot any typos.

There was something rustling around their garbage. Lily was on her way to drop off a bag to their bins, but she slowed at the sound. Moving cautiously, she used her free hand to pull out her phone and turn the flashlight on. Lily aimed it in the general direction of the noise; the light reflected off the animal’s eyes and revealed a large wolf, dark black with brown undertones. 

Lily froze, almost dropping the items she was holding out of shock. “What.” she couldn’t help saying, voice flat with disbelief. Apparently the light got the wolf’s attention; it began padding over to her. 

“Nice wolfie, please don’t eat me, there’s plenty of tasty… okay this is just garbage, our organic stuff is out back in the compost bin, but I swear I’ll get you a nice steak if you just… don’t…” Her nervous babbling trailed off as the wolf circled around her, sniffing. Then it sat down near her left hand and butted against it with a whine. 

Still moving cautiously, she turned off the flashlight and put her phone back in her pocket. Reaching out her hand, Lily held it out for the wolf to sniff. It gave her an unimpressed look, as if chastising her for asking permission, before repeating the request for pets. 

Gently, Lily stroked a hand over the wolf’s head, marvelling at how soft the fur was. For it’s part, the wolf closed its eyes, leaning heavily into her hand. After a few moments, Lily stopped her petting. “Okay, so this was… weird, but I’m just…gonna go…” She began to back away, and blinked when the wolf got up and followed after her. “Uhhh…” 

From the porch light, Lily got a better look at the wolf. It—she was clearly underfed, ribs visible through its fur. Lily felt a pang of sadness, and began doubting her earlier assessment. Maybe… she wasn’t a wolf. Maybe she was a wolf-dog, or some kind of husky mix? Whatever she was, the animal was apparently somewhat domesticated. 

Briefly, Lily closed her eyes. “Goddamn it.” She opened them again, looking at the wolf (which was still her closest guess at the moment), marveling at the fact that she had apparently put her trust in Lily. 

“Okay…” Lily came to a decision. “You’re allowed in. Just… please don’t maul me in my sleep.” Dropping the garbage on the porch (she’d take it out in the morning), Lily opened the front door and went into the house, with the wolf padding after her. 

Once inside, Lily moved to the kitchen, found a mixing bowl, and filled it with water. She set it down, and watched as the wolf immediately went over and started drinking. Then her phone came out and Lily started googling good things to feed dogs when you didn’t have dog food on hand. 

The two easiest things were ground beef and scrambled eggs. Lily got out a sauté pan and ground beef, beginning to cook it. When it seemed almost done, she moved it to the side and quickly scrambled the eggs. While the food cooked, the wolf came over and sat down near her. She wasn’t begging, but stared intently at Lily. 

“At least you’re not drooling,” Lily joked. She remembered Nel’s old dog, who used to sit and produce long strings to drool as she begged for food. The wolf’s gaze seemed to get… flat? Almost as if she seemed to be saying that she was above such behaviour. 

Suddenly, the wolf perked up and whipped her head around, looking over towards the entrance to the kitchen. Now that Lily was listening too, she could hear her dad moving around and beginning to come downstairs. 

“Lily?” He called. “Why are you cooking so late?” At the sound of his voice, the wolf began to growl. As Martin came to the kitchen, he stopped dead, taking in his daughter at the stove while a wild animal sat next to her. 

“Stop that,” Lily admonished the wolf. “That’s my dad, it’s fine. He’s fine.” Surprisingly, her words caused the wolf to quiet, though she shot Martin a look that suggested she would be keeping her eyes on him. 

“Lily.” Martin tried for stern, but mostly sounded disbelieving. “Why is there a wolf in our kitchen? And are you _cooking_ for it?”

“Look…” Lily began, as she emptied the contents of the pan, beef fat and all, into a wide dish. Briefly, she hesitated before quickly placing the bowl on the floor and backing away.

Luckily, the wolf didn’t lunge at her. She waited for Lily to finish setting the food down, and then she began eating.

Trying to tune out the noise of the wolf horfing down food, Lily turned to her dad. “I saw her when I went to put out trash, but she didn’t attack me. She wanted to be pet. And…” Lily trailed off and shrugged. “Just look at her. She’s clearly hungry and isn’t violent.” Then, quieter, “I wanted to take care of her. It’s the right thing to do.”

Martin let out a long sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Lils… If it’s a wolf, I don’t know if it’s legal to keep her as a pet. And even if it is - she’s a wild animal, you don’t know when she’ll turn on you. You’re lucky she didn’t attack you for food.”

“She didn’t though! She seems domesticated, and probably was someone’s pet or escaped from a sanctuary.” Lily widened her eyes, pleading. “I swear I’ll look for her owner, but can’t I just look after her until then?”

She could pinpoint the moment her dad gave in by the slump of his shoulders. “Fine. But if you can’t find out where she came from in a week, I’m calling wildlife services. And,” his voice rose as he spoke over her protests. “She’s staying outside. If she is a wild animal, she’ll be fine.”

“...Fine.” Lily muttered, tone implying that she would follow those rules… mostly. 

“Lily.” Knowing his daughter and what she meant by that, Martin put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s for you own safety. I don’t want you getting hurt.” His voice grew rough. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

“...I know dad.” She stepped forward and hugged him. “I love you.”

“Love you too, ladybug.” He hugged her back tightly, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. 

From where it was sitting, food having been eaten, the wolf intently watched the exchange. 

“Okay.” Pulling away, Lily cleared her throat. “I’ll put the wolf out back. C’mon, you,” She moved towards the door to the backyard, grateful when the wolf trailed after her. She almost seemed docile as she stepped off the back deck and began sniffing around. Darting back to the kitchen, Lily refilled the water bowl and then set it out on the porch. 

Lily lingered outside for a moment, watching as the wolf did a perimeter around the fence. She turned to stare at Lily . “Well… Goodnight, I guess.” Feeling strangely awkward, Lily went back inside and closed the door after her. 

When she got back to the kitchen, Lily frowned at seeing her dad scrubbing the dirty pan. “Dad, I’m the one who used it, I’ll clean it.” He waved off her protests, and she let out a huff of amusement. “Fine, whatever. While you’re at it, can you clean the plate she used too? Thanks dad love you.” The last part was said in a rush as she ran out of the kitchen and upstairs. 

Once Lily got to her room, she pulled out her phone and called her best friend. “Nel, holy shit, you won’t believe what just happened…”

***

That night, Lily stirred in her sleep. There was an odd weight on her legs, heavier than even her weighted blanket. Having been asleep on her side, she craned her head to look. Laying with her head on Lily’s legs was the wolf. 

As if aware of the scrutiny, the wolf opened one eye and stared back. After a moment, she closed her eyes and shifted, moving to lay her head on the bed. 

Technically, Lily should’ve been alarmed to see a wolf on her bed. But everything felt muted and dream-like. Figuring it was a problem for her future self, she went back to sleep. 

***

Lily woke up in the morning to an empty bed and the smell of scrambled eggs. She went through her morning routine, grabbing everything she needed, before heading downstairs to the kitchen. 

Her dad was at the stove, with two pans on the go. One had bacon and eggs, which the other held an impressive amount of eggs. Sitting by him was the wolf. Both turned to look at Lily as she came into the kitchen. 

“Lily…” Martin began, warningly. “I thought I told you that the wolf had to stay outside.”

“Dad, you saw me put her outside.” Lily protested. “I didn’t come back downstairs, I swear. I don’t know how she got into the house.”

“Well, you left the back door unlocked, for one.” He pointed out, scraping out a half portion of bacon and eggs onto a plate.

Lily snorted. “I thought you were going to lock it. Besides, it’s a sliding door. Dogs can’t use those unless there’s a tie on it for them to tug or something.” She sat down at the table, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. 

“Regardless, somehow the wolf got inside.” Martin tried to sound stern, but the effect was ruined somewhat by him dishing out the pan of just eggs into a bowl. He set it down on the ground; again, the wolf waited politely for him to finish doing so become she began eating. 

“It’s a fucking mystery.” Digging into her own breakfast, Lily rolled her eyes when her dad admonished her for swearing. “Anyway, I think she slept in my bed last night? Which is another tick in the ‘she’s probably safe and domesticated’ column.”

“She did, huh?” Martin’s voice was dry as he plated the rest of the bacon and eggs, before joining Lily at the table. “I looked it up last night, and if she is a wolf, it’s illegal to keep her as a pet. But if she’s a wolf-dog, then…”

“Then we can keep her?” Lily asked hopefully, deflating when her dad shook his head. 

“You’re going off to university in a few months,” He pointed out. “I’d need someone to look after her when I work nights,” Martin was a paramedic for the local emergency services, “and it just wouldn’t be fair to her. Plus we don’t even know if she’s a hybrid or not. Better to just keep looking for her owner.”

“Ugh, fine.” Lily groaned, going back to her food. Once she was finished eating, she took her meds and then stood up. “Okay, I’ll put her out back again, and then I’m off. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Don’t forget to finish taking out the rest of the garbage.” Martin replied, taking a drink from his coffee mug. 

***

When Lily parked her car in the student parking lot and got out, Nel was waiting for her at their usual meeting spot. When she got closer, he batted at her arm. “Are you crazy? I can’t believe you let a wolf into your house!”

“She could be a wolf-dog,” Lily replied, hitting him back. “Besides, you haven’t seen her. She’s seriously so thin and pathetic, and like, totally tame. I bet she’s someone’s illegal pet, they’re probably going to have to cart her off to a wolf sanctuary somewhere…” She trailed off, deflating. The memory of last night, the soothing heat and weight of the wolf next to her, rose to the forefront of her mind. 

“...You’re attached to her already, aren’t you?” Nel shook his head. “This is all gonna end in tears.”

“What? Pffft, no, I’m not.” Lily protested, with Nel shooting her a look that said he didn’t believe her at all. “Ugh, whatever, can we talk about something else?”

Nel smiled mischievously. “Well, I never did finish telling you about what happened when I gave Maja a handout yesterday in English…”

Usually, Lily hated listening to her friend go on about his hopeless crush; Maja had been adopted into the clique of cool alternative kids and Nel wasn’t even on her radar. But today Lily would make an exception; anything to get him off the topic of what to do about the wolf. 

***

After a brief discussion, Nel and Lily decided to spend their lunch period outside. It was spring and the weather was actually nice for once. They made their way over to a slight hill and sat down. Just as Lily was pulling out her lunch, Nel spoke and distracted her. “Uh… Lily? Does the wolf look anything like that?” He pointed towards the nearby thicket of trees. 

Lily looked over. Sure enough, there was the wolf from last night. Once their eyes met, the wolf trotted over, oblivious to the stares from other students who were also taking advantage of the warmer weather. The wolf flopped down, resting her head in Lily’s lap, and giving her a look, as if saying ‘well, I’m here. Are you gonna pet me, or what?’.

“How did you get out of the backyard?” Lily asked, even as she went to scratch under the wolf’s chin. “She somehow got back inside the house last night,” Lily mentioned to Nel, who was staring at them both, flabbergasted. 

“You’re… petting a wolf.” Nel said disbelievingly. “Can I…?” Tentatively, he reached out. Turning her head to glare at him, the wolf began to growl, causing Nel to quickly pull his hand back.

“Hey!” Lily gave the wolf a stern look. “That’s Nel. He’s my best bro. We like him, we are _not_ going to be aggressive to him. Or no more scritches.” The wolf stared back, emotionless, before letting out a huff, like ‘whatever’, and lay her head back down. 

“...Dude.” Nel stared at them, before shaking his head. “You’re totally her person. That’s crazy.”

“Right?” Lily agreed, pulling out her sandwich and started eating it. “No idea why, but it’s pretty cool.” Absentmindedly, she brushed off any crumbs that fell on the wolf’s head. For her part, the wolf seemed content where she was. 

The rest of lunch proceeded peacefully, with the two friends talking while the wolf dozed. When the bell rang, the wolf seemed to flinch in response to the noise. “Sorry boo,” Lily said as she slowly stood, giving the wolf time to move away. “Gotta get back to class.”

Somehow, the wolf managed to convey how thoroughly unimpressed she was with that nickname. 

“No? What about… Wolfie. Waggy. Shaggy?” Lily teased, grinning as the wolf gave an irritable flick of the ear. “C’mon, I have to call you _something._ ”

“Lily…” Nel seemed exasperated. “You can tease the wild animal capable of ripping out your throat another time. We have to get to class.”

“Too true. Adieu, my fuzzy friend. Go home, don’t get picked up by animal control on your way there.” Lily called over her shoulder. If animals could roll their eyes, the wolf would’ve. Instead, the wolf stared back blankly and then briskly trotted back into the thicket. 

*** 

After school, Lily designed missing posters for the wolf, and searched online for any missing animals from a sanctuary. The search didn’t come up with anything, and as for the posters… She printed them out and put the stack on the floor, before turning back to her computer. 

A weird sound caught her attention; it was the wolf, squatting over the posters and peeing on them. 

“What?” Lily yelped. “Stop that! I just finished…” She trailed off with a sigh. “You know, if you wanted to go outside, you could’ve just used your words.” Grimacing, because, gross, Lily got a garbage bag, picked up the soaked papers and dropped them in. Then she went to clean up the extra pee, and wash her hands a million times. 

“Okay, you’re going outside, you’ve lost bedroom privileges.” Lily darkly told the wolf, herding her outside. She was just starting to go upstairs, when there was the sound of the back door opening. “What.”

Looking proud of herself, the wolf trotted over to Lily and wagged her tail. 

“How did you do that?” Lily asked loudly, flailing her arms. The wolf didn’t reply, but continued to look immensely pleased, tongue lolling out of her mouth. “Ugh, whatever. Maybe you were like… paper trained or something. I’ll redo the posters later.”

Nothing unusual happened for the rest of the evening; Martin headed off to work, while Lily worked on her homework. 

Before bed, Lily made sure to put the wolf out in the backyard and to lock the door. Once more, the wolf displayed an uncanny ability to get back into the house. Lily woke up with the wolf laying against her back. Letting herself enjoy the warmth, Lily drifted off again. 

***

At breakfast, Lily made excuses to her dad - citing homework - for why she didn’t have the posters done yet. He rolled his eyes but seemed to accept it. 

At lunch, the wolf once more joined Nel and Lily outside. “Dude,” Nel said, still watching with slight envy as his friend pet the wolf. “You know there’s all kinds of rumours about you now, right?”

Lily snorted. “I mean, I guess that’s a step above being invisible. What kind of shit are they saying? No, you can’t have potato chips, those are bad for dogs and therefore wolves too.” The last sentence was directed at the wolf, who seemed to be calculating how to snatch a chip out of Lily’s hands without biting her. With a huff, the wolf settled down, acting like that had been her intent all along. 

“So mostly people think you’re a Game of Thrones LARPer who’s taking things way too seriously. But like, some say you’re magic and the wolf is your companion animal.” Nel saw that Lily was holding back laughter, and he snickered. “Right?”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe that.” She shook her head, still grinning. “Man, I _wish_ I was magic and the wolf was like… my magic mentor animal or whatever…” Lily trailed off, raising an eyebrow as she saw Maja approaching them, with her friend Merricat a step behind her. 

The wolf tensed up and started growling. She kept an eye on the approaching teenagers but didn’t move otherwise. 

Both friends fell into a puzzled silence as Maja came to a stop in front of them. “It’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you, or to report you to anyone.” Weirdly, she seemed to be talking to the wolf. “I promise you’re safe in this town.” Merricat lurked in the background, apparently providing emotional support. 

The wolf stopped growling, cocking her head as she considered Maja. Then she pointedly turned her head, curling down into Lily’s lap. 

“Um…?” Lily was officially confused. “Sorry, I guess? She’s kind of protective and doesn’t like… basically anyone who isn’t me.” Which was weird in and of itself, but considering being liked was a rarity in her life, she’d take it. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it!” Maja waved off the apology. “Wolves don’t like me, usually.” She smiled, as if laughing at a joke only she knew. “No, I came over to ask if you heard about the Haines family curse.”

The wolf gave a full body twitch. Lily soothed her, petting her coat, and frowned when it did nothing to quell the wolf’s agitation. “Uh…” She refocused on Maja. “No?”

“So,” linking her hands together, Maja rocked back on her heels. “The Haines were a huge family, old and established. Decent amount of money too. And then one day, members of the family started having tragic accidents. One after another died.” She paused, seeming to expect a reaction. 

“That’s… uh. Fucked up?” Lily didn’t seem too sure what the other girl wanted from her. 

“Oh, it’s super sad.” Maja agreed, seeming anything but. “Anyway, they kept wolves as pets. Most were captured and killed, but… It’s thought that some escaped. It’s funny that you have a tame wolf now. You know they don’t live in nature around here, right?”

“Are you… threatening me?” Lily was starting to get angry. “Because let me tell you—”

“No!” That got through at least, and Maja seemed genuinely dismayed. “No, my family never got along with the Haines, but that doesn’t mean they deserve what happened to them. Consider it… Just be careful, okay? Keep an eye on your wolf, and if anyone comes to claim her… Make sure they’re an ally, not an enemy.” Apparently done, Maja gave a nod, turned, and walked away. 

There was a pause as both friends took in what just happened. “That was…” Nel began. 

“Super fucked up, right?” Lily burst out. 

“What? No, that was so cool of Maja…” Nel trailed off, starry eyed. “Ow!” Lily had leaned over and swatted the back of his head. “What was that for?”

“I don’t care how hot you think she is,” Lily hissed. “She basically just admitted to being part of, or at least aware of, a community of serial killers who _killed an entire family._ ” Hands shaking, she ran her hands over the wolf’s back, as if trying to reassure herself that the animal was still okay. 

The wolf let out a plaintive whine, nuzzling against Lily’s hand, in an apparent effort to soothe both of them. 

Nel deflated. “Well, I mean, when you put it like _that_ , it does sound bad…”

Lily snorted, still somewhat shaky. “Yeah, you can say that again. You’re smart, right?” She said to the wolf. “You know to stay away from any scary people with guns.”

Raising her head, the wolf met Lily’s eyes, and very clearly nodded. Then she settled back down. 

Another pause followed. “I’m… just going to pretend that didn’t happen.” Lily decided, grappling with the weird turn her life suddenly seemed to have taken. 

“Dude, your wolf is _totally_ magic!” Nel seemed more excited than unnerved, of course. 

***

That night at dinner, Lily waited until her dad was done eating before making her case. “Dad… We need to talk.”

“Oh no, that sounds serious.” Martin was smiling slightly. “You’re not in trouble at school? You’re not pregnant, right?”

“What? No, dad, geez.” Lily rolled her eyes. “It’s about the wolf.”

“...Of course it is.” With a sigh, he got up, poured himself a mug of coffee and sat back down. “Okay, what is it?”

Lily reiterated Maja’s bizarre monologue to him. “...Which means if we put up posters or call animal control, she’ll be in danger. We have to wait to see if anyone from her family comes.”

Martin rubbed at his face, tiredly. “Lily… You must realize how crazy that sounds. How will you even know if the right person shows up, if or when it happens?”

“The wolf will know.” Lily seemed entirely convinced of this. “I know it seems like she growls at like... everyone. But she’s cool with me, and she’ll probably recognize someone from the family. Dad, _please_.” Her voice broke on the last word as she teared up. As if aware of her agitation, the wolf walked over and rested her head in Lily’s lap. 

“...You have the summer.” Martin decided. “And the money for her food - we’ll order her raw food, that’s probably what she needs - will come out of your allowance.”

“Thank you!” Getting up, Lily threw her arms around him and gave her dad a hug.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t thank me when you’re the one picking up her poo in the backyard. And we’re getting her a collar and a leash, and you’ll take her on walks. And Lily,” Serious once more, Martin held her at an arm’s length. “If she grows violent, or god forbid, attacks anyone, I’m calling animal services. That is not negotiable.”

“Okay. Yeah. That’s fair.” Lily sobered, looking back at the wolf. “You’ll be good, right?” Remaining seated, the wolf wagged her tail, making both humans smile. 

***

With a beleaguered patience, the wolf endured getting a collar with tags that had Lily’s phone number on the back. She refused to sleep in the bed they got her though, or to play with any of the dog toys that Lily bought. 

“You’re so boring,” Lily teased the wolf one evening; The animal chewing an an antler (the only thing she would accept as a chew toy) on the bed while Lily sat at her computer desk, doing homework. The wolf didn’t react at all. It was super tempting to pick up a stuffed animal and throw it at her, but… Lily knew provoking the wolf was a bad idea. 

It seemed like the wolf and her dad had reached a mutual agreement, based on the fact that he usually fed her breakfast. The wolf would even allow him to scratch her ears. As for her and Lily, she always slept in Lily’s bed, forever remained close, and endured any pets. 

Having a shadow, the constant companionship… Lily found herself enjoying it more than she thought that she would. 

***

The nice spring weather couldn’t hold. Eventually, there was a day where it was pouring rain. When lunch came around, Lily grabbed an umbrella and darted outside. She made her way over to the thicket, where she knew the wolf would be waiting. 

While the wolf had gained weight from being regularly fed, she was still slight. With her coat flattened by water, she looked even more pathetic. 

“Hey you,” Lily crouched down and rubbed a hand over the wolf’s head. “Nel and I have to brave the cafeteria today, okay? It means we can’t hang out with you. Go back home - I’m sure if you give dad your puppy dog eyes, he’ll let you inside.”

Moving a step forward, the wolf nuzzled against Lily’s cheek. It made the teenager smile. “Yeah, yeah, love you too.” She pressed a kiss to the wolf’s head. “I have to head back in, stay safe, okay?”

The wolf gave her a look, as if saying she always was, before turning and trotting off.

Lily stayed where she was for a moment, watching the wolf disappear into the trees, and then went back inside. 

***

Apparently, Maja finding out that Nel was friends with the “wolf girl”, as Lily had been dubbed, made her aware of his existence. They had hit it off, and suddenly the new couple were eating lunch together, and hanging out before and after school, and… Basically, Lily’s only contact with Nel that week had been brief texts, him apologizing for his absence while still maintaining it. 

“And like, it’s not that I’m not happy for him,” Lily told the wolf, very seriously. They were curled up together on the teenager’s bed, with Lily’s arms around the wolf while the wolf rested her head in Lily’s shoulders. 

“And it isn’t like you’re not good company,” She was quick to assure the wolf, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “It’s just… I’m jealous, I guess.” Lily sighed. “I know, statistically speaking, I’m not the only queer girl in Shade Hollow. But it sure feels like that sometimes.”

Lily sighed again, shoulders slumping. The wolf whined and tried to wiggle closer, nuzzling against Lily’s neck. That at least got a smile out of her. “Yeah, I know. Just gotta get through the next few months, and then I’m in university, and hopefully I’ll find my people. I won’t have to cling to Nel anymore. And hey, right now I’ve got you. That’s pretty great.”

It was _something_ , at least. 

***

The months passed peacefully, spring turning into summer. School finished, with Lily and Nel both letting out a whoop when they completed their exams and got through their final day of high school. The wolf barked excitedly, running around their legs. She even bumped up against Nel, allowing him to rest a hand on her head, before returning to Lily’s side. 

For a while, Lily let herself relax and enjoy having a pet. She ignored the looming deadline, and almost even forgot about it. The summer seemed to stretch on, full of promise. 

***

They were out in the backyard one afternoon. Lily was sitting in the shade of the tree, reading a book, while the wolf slept nearby. Something jolted the wolf awake, and she looked over at the gate. 

It unlatched, and a woman with a duffel bag slung around her back stepped into the backyard. She looked to be around Lily’s age, maybe a bit older. Her face was set into stony anger. “I finally found you.”

Lily jumped up. “Woah, hey, wait, what? Who are you? I’m not letting just anyone take her—”

The woman ignored her, still addressing the wolf. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to track you down, with everything that’s been going on. And you’ve what, been playing house with this human?”

“This human is right here, you know.” Lily frowned. There was something about the woman’s tone, a kind of familiar disappointment. Almost how family members spoke to each other. 

And the wolf wasn’t reacting aggressively. It stood, tail down and head bowed, as it walked over to the woman. 

Holding her breath, Lily tightened her hands into fists. 

“I was so worried something had happened, even though I could tell you were still alive. But god, everyone else, Jess… They’re gone.” The woman sank to her knees and started crying. Whining, the wolf licked the tears from her face. “You need to come back,” She took the wolf’s head in her hands, staring it down. “You can’t hide anymore.”

The wolf took two steps back, head still bowed, before its skin began to shift and twist. The wolf became a woman, who was very naked except for the dog collar around her neck. “You better have some clothes in there.” Her voice was rough from disuse, and deeper than the voice Lily had imagined for the wolf. She looked to be several years older than Lily. 

“Yeah,” Unzipping the duffel bag, the other woman got out a loose shirt and sweatpants, throwing both at Jess. Seemingly unbothered by her nakedness, she started putting them on. A moment later, she undid the collar and dropped it to the ground. 

“Um, what?” Lily squeaked. “Can someone please tell me what just happened? Who are you?” Asking the woman with the duffel bag. “And who the _hell_ are you?” At the woman who had been a wolf. “What the fuck is going on?”

There was a silent exchange between the two women, who vaguely resembled each other; they were probably sisters. At the end of the exchange, Jess turned to look at Lily. “You don’t need to know anything. It’s safer that way.” She swallowed. “Thank you… for taking me in.”

“...Let’s go. I’ve got a car out front.” The younger woman said. With a nod, Jess followed after her. They shut the gate behind them. 

Her legs gave out from under her, and Lily found herself sitting on the ground. “...What just happened?” She asked the empty air. Her eyes landed on the abandoned collar, and a lump rose in her throat. Nel was right, she thought, angrily swiping away the tears. Regardless of whatever had just happened, Lily had gotten attached, and now the wolf was gone. 

***

The hardest part, Lily reflected, was that she had no one to talk to about it. She told Nel and her dad that the wolf’s owner had shown up and taken her home. There was no point in telling them that the wolf apparently had been… a shifter? A werewolf? She didn’t even know. 

Which of course begged the question - if shifters existed, what else was real? Were vampires a thing? Fairies? There was a whole hidden world out there, which she’d been allowed a brief glimpse into. 

Luckily, preparing for university helped stop her wondering, taking up the rest of the summer and distract Lily from the empty space in her life. Before she knew it, her dad was helping her move into a dorm room. And Nel, who was just down the hall, was popping by for a visit. 

***

University life was chaotic, everything changing at once. The events of the past few months took on a surreal tinge, almost as if it hadn’t even happened. 

Which was why Lily nearly fainted when she stopped just short of walking into the woman who had been her wolf, at the university library. 

“Um…” Lily took a step back and swallowed. She watched as the other woman seemed… hurt, almost, by her reaction. “...Hi. Jess, right?”

That made the woman smile, and oh, Lily already knew that she was gorgeous, but with a smile lighting up her face, she was stunning. “Yes. Hello, Lily. ...Can I buy you a coffee? I owe you an explanation, and more.”

“Woah, hey,” Lily held up her hands. “No life debt here, okay? It was… just the right thing to do.” She swallowed heavily, against the old hurt. “Besides, I thought it was too dangerous to tell me anything.”

Slowly, Jess nodded, seeming sheepish. “I… realized later that I took the choice away from you. That you should’ve been able to choose if you wanted to know or not.”

Lily smiled sardonically. “Yeah, you were pretty eager to get out of there. And away from me. Not that I blame you.”

A moment later, Jess was crowding Lily’s personal space, intently staring down at her. “It was for your own safety. If you think that it wasn’t hard for me…”

Lily went to reply, but found her thoughts scattering as she stared into Jess’ eyes. They were almost a deep amber, the same shade as when she’d been a wolf. “God,” Lily breathed, “Under other circumstances, I would’ve killed for someone like you to ask me out for coffee. As a date, I mean.”

Briefly, Jess seemed confused, before her smile grew sharp. “Let me buy you a coffee.” She repeated. “I’m okay with it being a date.” Her expression softened. “...And I’ve missed you.”

That, more than anything else, convinced Lily. “...Yeah, okay. Though I’m also totally taking you up on that offer of an explanation. I’m ready for the red pill, Morpheus.” She followed after Jess, who chuckled at the reference, as they moved to the coffee shop attached to the library. 


End file.
